Press Release

CRISPR Therapeutics Announces the Appointment of Steve Caffé as Head of Regulatory Affairs

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, MA., April 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, announced the appointment of Steve Caffé, M.D., as Head of Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Caffé brings to CRISPR a 25-year track record in global product development and regulatory affairs, having held senior leadership positions at many leading biotechnology and pharmaceuticals companies.

"Steve's extensive experience in regulatory strategy and operations across multiple therapeutic areas and geographies will be a tremendous addition to the CRISPR team," said Samarth Kulkarni, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. "We are thrilled to have Steve join us at such an important time for our company as we advance multiple programs to the clinic."

During his career, Dr. Caffé has demonstrated exceptional leadership in global regulatory affairs. He has contributed to over 40 new drug approvals and major new indications worldwide in a wide range of therapeutic areas including oncology, hematology, cardiology and rare diseases. Prior to joining CRISPR Therapeutics, Dr. Caffé most recently served as Senior Vice President at Ra Pharmaceuticals, where he led Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Quality, and Patient Advocacy. Before that, he held senior level regulatory positions at a number of publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies including Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, MedImmune (Biologics Division of AstraZeneca), Baxter International, Sanofi-Aventis and Merck. Dr. Caffé received his M.D. at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The Company has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with leading companies including Bayer AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.crisprtx.com.

CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs, any approvals thereof and timing of commencement of clinical trials, the intellectual property coverage and positions of the Company, its licensors and third parties, the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources and the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the Company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for our technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at . Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.